Schengen visa to Poland - personal experience of obtaining. Obtaining a visa to Poland: the intricacies of the process Visa to Poland: cost of registration

September 21, 2016

Picodi

We travel abroad for various reasons: some people want to see the beauty of other countries, others just like to relax in comfort, and many cross the border to make purchases. But, no matter what our goal is, we always want to save as much as possible and travel cheaper. Read this article about how to reduce transport costs when traveling from Belarus to Poland.

The most economical options

Those who have traveled a lot and with pleasure, and also used different methods for this, know: there is nothing cheaper than hitchhiking. And indeed: by hitchhiking, you can not only save money, but get anywhere practically for free. But there is a high risk of getting into an unpleasant situation, and such trips, to put it mildly, do not add comfort. The most affordable and reasonable options for getting to the border are, of course, trains and buses.

We go through Brest - Terespol (Terespol)

Perhaps the most convenient point for crossing the border. The cheapest way to get to this checkpoint on the Belarusian-Polish border is from Minsk in two steps. The cost of a trip on the Minsk - Brest electric train, which we board first, will be about 8 rubles in new Belarusian rubles. However, there is one caveat: it is better to travel at night (and cheap trains here most often run at night) with a group, since anything can happen in shared carriages. Let us add that the trip to Brest by train will take about 8 hours.

However, Brest is not the final destination of our journey, and now we need to get to the border. To do this, we transfer in Brest to the Brest-Terespol train, a trip on which will cost us about 9 rubles. The time from Brest to Terespol by train is approximately 15–20 minutes. It could be less (the drive is no more than 10 km), but don’t forget about border control (more on this, as well as how else you can get to Poland, in a separate chapter below). In total, a trip abroad by train will cost approximately 17 rubles (round trip, respectively, 34 rubles).

You can check the current train schedule Brest - Terespol and Terespol - Brest on the website rw.by or rozklad-pkp.pl

From other options, we immediately exclude the plane, since this is obviously not economical, and nothing flies to Terespol. All that remains is a fast train, a bus (minibus) and an economy taxi. A one-way bus trip from Minsk to Terespol will cost 15–20 rubles, and a round trip, respectively, will cost 30–40 rubles, which is comparable to electric trains. The cost of travel by minibus is the same. On the other hand, it is obviously more comfortable to travel this way than on two electric trains, although this largely depends on personal preferences.

If you take a fast train, you will have to pay more than 30 rubles just one way (the total price for a round trip is 60 rubles), which, of course, is not at all profitable. In addition, this is the cost of traveling in a reserved seat carriage, and in order to reserve seats, you need to buy tickets in advance. And it’s much more expensive than a taxi, which will cost you 200 rubles one way even with an economy class car, and even then only to Brest.

We go through Grodno (Bruzgi) - Kuźnica

Another fairly conveniently located checkpoint, which is located not far from another large city, Grodno, is Bruzgi. However, you don’t need to go specifically to Bruzgi, since in most cases you first need to get to Grodno, and then from there, bypassing Bruzgi, you will reach the Polish border settlement. From here, by the way, you can quickly get to Bialystok - a fairly large administrative center. Now about specific travel options.

By train From Minsk you will have to change trains, since you first need to take an interregional train to Grodno, and then transfer to a train or bus. In August 2016, the railway connection from Grodno to Bialystok was resumed. Below are prices in euros for tickets from Grodno to other Polish cities. By the way, for owners of Pole Cards there is a special price of 4 euros for the section Grodno - Kuznitsa.

In terms of time, this could take us about 6.5 hours: 5 hours to Grodno and another one and a half to Kuznitsa (it will take about 2.5 hours to travel to Bialystok, and 7.5 hours from Minsk in total), but there is one nuance - going through customs, so the trip takes longer. The cost of a one-way trip from Minsk to Kuznitsa, including transfers, is about 11 rubles, to Bialystok - about 20 rubles. In principle, the prices are comparable to a trip through Brest, but there is one advantage - you can immediately get to a large Polish city.

Buses travel from Minsk to Bialystok, and the approximate cost of the trip is about 30 rubles (you can find it a little cheaper). Thus, this method is one and a half times more expensive than the previous option, but you travel without transfers. Comfortable? Undoubtedly. Economical? Not really. In terms of time, however, it turns out to be a little faster (about 7 hours), if customs does not spoil the schedule.

As for Taxi, then the only option here is to travel to Grodno - not a single taxi driver will take you across the border. Therefore, you will have to travel further by bus. The cost of a taxi to Grodno from Minsk is about 160 rubles, which significantly exceeds the amount of all previous options combined.

We go through other checkpoints

There are three other checkpoints separating Belarus and Poland: Berestovitsa - Bobrowniki, Peschatka - Polowce and Domachevo - Slawatycze. However, the location of the last two makes it easy to get to them unless you have your own transport, and they are also very popular among truckers. In any case, for those who want to save as much as possible, traveling through these checkpoints is not the best option. As for the Berestovitsa - Bobrovniki checkpoint, some buses heading to Bialystok and further to Warsaw pass through here, and the cost of a direct bus trip through this checkpoint is approximately the same as in the case of a trip through Grodno.

Shopping buses - is it worth going?

Another financially beneficial way to cross the border is a shopping trip to Poland on a special bus - the so-called shopping bus.

Of course, no one obliges you to make purchases; besides, the obvious advantages of this method undoubtedly include the low price (you can travel for about one and a half times cheaper than a regular one), as well as the delivery of passengers to their homes at the end of the return trip. But this method also has its disadvantages: firstly, it takes a longer time to clear customs, and secondly, you will definitely have to go back on a shopping bus, and at a strictly defined time - one-way trips are not provided in such cases. However, for those who travel to Poland mainly for shopping or just to take a walk, a shopping bus is an almost ideal option in terms of cost, and they will also take you home.

In Poland, the bus network of the Polski Bus carrier is well developed, with which you can get to every point on our route. And what is important for your budget, the cost of the trip will not exceed €5-6, and if you plan everything in advance, there are almost always tickets for €1.

Accommodation prices in all cities on the route are approximately the same:

bed in a hostel - from €5
room in a 3* hotel - from €20 for two
room in a 5* hotel - from €70 for two

The easiest way to get to Poland from Ukraine is by plane. Wizz Air has cheap flights to various Polish cities, including Katowice, a city located not far from Krakow, and where our route can conveniently start.

There are also direct buses and trains from Kyiv and Lviv, or you can make the most budget route with several transfers and crossing the border on foot.

Krakow

Just a few hours and you will find yourself in the medieval - cultural capital of Poland. Its heart is the Old Town (listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site) with the spacious Market Square, St. Mary's Church and Wawel Castle. For a long time, Krakow was the place of coronation of Polish monarchs, although the country's capital was in Warsaw - you can learn more about this on the excursion "

Poland is located quite close to Russia, and the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation even borders it. In this regard, tourist trips to Poland by car are very popular, and a Polish visa is becoming needed by an increasing number of Russian citizens. They get it according to the standard procedure: Poland has been a member of Schengen since 2004, so you can’t do without a visa for a tourist trip.

For a long time now, all states of the Schengen area, including the Republic of Poland, have entrusted the work of processing to special intermediaries - visa centers. Therefore, obtaining a visa to Poland is possible through these organizations, as well as through the country’s diplomatic missions in the Russian Federation - the Embassy and Consulates General in Moscow or other cities.
For those who decide to apply for a visa without refusals, quickly and inexpensively, we recommend the Online visa center.

A Polish visa will be more difficult to obtain than a Schengen visa from another country.

Do I need a visa

If there are any doubts whether Russians need a visa to Poland, then it is better to immediately understand that all guests of this country need it. You cannot get there without special permission, so a visa is required. If the purpose of the visit is, for example, tourism, visiting close relatives, a business trip or an official visit, then you need a document called a Schengen visa to Poland. If you need to stay in Poland for a long time and in the future obtain a residence permit, then you will already need a national visa, not a Schengen one.

Entry with a visa from another country

If the passport already has a valid Schengen visa stamp from any of the 26 states in this zone, then Russians do not need a separate visa to Poland, but in such a situation there are also restrictions. The visa must be opened in the country that issued it and most of the time must be spent there, and you can come to Poland afterwards.

Types of visas

Visa to Poland is Schengen. Now there is only one type of such visa - category C. It is issued to all tourists, Russian citizens who have invitations and go to visit, business travelers, workers whose activities are related to periodic work visits to Poland, for short studies, and so on.

Photo of Polish visa

But there is another type of Polish entry permit - the national visa D. This kind of visa to Poland is no longer Schengen. It has an extended period of validity and period of stay in Poland; it can be used to obtain a residence permit in this state. Issued in cases where a Russian has plans to study/work in Poland, live with a spouse who is Polish, and so on.

Tourist visa to Poland

It is necessary to dwell separately on a tourist visa to Poland, since the majority of our citizens still go to Poland specifically for tourism purposes. This country really has something to visit - medieval cities, mountains, health resorts, attractive with their low price and European quality. A tourist visa to Poland is the same as a Schengen visa C. It must be issued according to the general rules for these categories of entry documents. A tourist entry permit is the document that is most often required.

Transit visa to Poland

The topic of tourist transit through the territory of Poland is very relevant for many Russians, because many use a car to travel further to Western Europe. Transit through Poland without separate registration of Polish Schengen is quite possible if you have a visa from the destination country. That is, the traveler will be allowed through the territory of Poland with a visa from France, Italy, Germany, and so on.

If in Poland you need to transfer from plane to plane, then provided that you do not leave the international zone of the airport, Polish Schengen is also not needed. If you still need to leave the international zone of the Polish airport, then you cannot do without a transit visa. These points must be taken into account in order to plan your trip correctly.

Entry for residents of Kaliningrad and the region

There is a special visa to Poland for those Russians who live in Kaliningrad and the region. It is called the MPP map for residents of areas on the border. It can be obtained using a simplified version by providing evidence that the applicant has actually lived in Kaliningrad or the region for the last three years; registration takes several days.

Such a visa to Poland for Russians has restrictions on the geography of visit. It allows access only to certain cities and areas bordering the Kaliningrad region: Gdansk, Elbląg, Gdynia, Puck, and so on.

Required documents

A visa to Poland for Russians in 2019 is issued after submitting a regulated list of required documents. It is quite standard and practically does not differ from the list for other Schengen states. So, obtaining a visa to Poland is possible by providing the following documents:

Completed application form for a visa to Poland, the form must be filled out in Latin letters or in Polish (in this case, it is better to immediately fill out the form in Polish), you must sign the form in the right places;
An original valid passport issued within the last 10 years in the name of the applicant. The passport must be valid for another 90 days after leaving the Schengen territory and have at least 2 blank pages;
Two photographs 3.5x4.5 cm;
Photocopy of the international passport: those pages where there is a photograph and personal data of the applicant;
If available, then other/old passports and their copies;
A photocopy of the internal Russian passport addressed to the applicant (not blank pages);
Medical insurance that meets the requirements: insurance amount – 30,000 €, policy area – the entire Schengen area;
Financial guarantees for the trip, confirming solvency and availability of funds:
- Bank account statement;
- Credit card account statement from the bank;
- A certificate from work indicating both the position and salary;
- IP certificate;
- Sponsorship letter from a sponsor who is a close relative. This sponsorship letter must be accompanied by financial guarantees from the sponsor himself, confirming a satisfactory financial position/availability of funds.

A minimum of PLN 100 per person per day of stay is required.

The validity period of financial documents is limited to one month, bank statements must show the movement of money in bank accounts for three months, translation into Polish/English is not required.

The listed documents for a Polish visa are basic and mandatory for everyone. They are served by tourists, business travelers, and invitees.

Additional documents for a tourist visa to Poland:

Route confirmation: transport tickets/transport ticket reservations;
Booking a hotel/inn or other place to stay. The reservation must be paid at least 50%, the confirmation must contain: address and telephone number of the hotel/inn, names and surnames of tourists, dates of travel. The booking confirmation must be stamped (stamped copies sent by fax are also acceptable).

Additional documents for a Schengen visa to Poland upon invitation from a private person:

A notarized letter of invitation containing: names, surnames, addresses, telephone numbers of the guest and the inviting party, passport number of the invitee, dates and purposes of the trip;
Confirmation of legal residence in Poland of the inviting party;
A copy of the first page of the inviting passport;
If the inviting party is not a relative, then you need the original and a copy of the invitation, which are registered in the Voivodeship at the place of residence.

Additional documents for obtaining a visa to Poland upon invitation from an organization or company:

An invitation from a partner/company in Poland on company letterhead with a stamp, required signatures, dates, purposes of travel, first and last names, issued/certified in the Voivodeship.

Additional documents for obtaining a Polish visa for short-term study:

Certificate of inclusion in the list of students/certificate of enrollment in an educational institution/student card - both the original and a copy are required.

If a Russian citizen travels to Poland at the invitation, it does not matter - from a private person or an official, then the invitation must indicate who will bear the costs and where the invitee will live, and appropriate guarantees must be attached. If this information is not available, then the invitee provides financial documents from item 8 of the main list.

Filling out the application form

The central place in preparing an application for a visa to Poland for Russians is occupied by a questionnaire. A lot depends on how correctly it is filled out. It’s good that the questionnaire itself is in Russian and the questions are extremely clear: if difficulties arise, you can look at the sample. This sample is also available at the visa center itself.

The application form is downloaded to your computer from the visa center website and printed; for convenience, you can fill it out at home. You need to follow simple filling rules:

Fill out the form in Latin letters;
Write neatly;
Provide accurate information;
Sign in the right places;
Avoid blots.

Photo requirements

A photo to obtain a visa to Poland must also meet the established parameters:

Size 3.5x4.5 cm, face is located in the center;
The height of the head in the photo is about 30 mm, the head occupies 70-80% of the entire photo;
Without edging and on a light background;
The photo must be no older than six months;
Without hats, even for religious reasons;
The glasses in the photo are only acceptable for medical reasons;
A full-face photo, preferably with open ears.

Traveling with children

No less relevant is the question of how to get a visa to Poland for children. For any minor, a full package of documents is submitted along with adults. For a child you must submit:

Birth certificate – copy plus original;
Consent/power of attorney to travel if the child is traveling alone, with one parent or with third parties. Consent or power of attorney must be certified by a notary; this will give the child the right to travel alone or with a parent;
If consent/power of attorney for the right of departure of a minor cannot be obtained, then papers explaining this circumstance are needed;
Copies of Schengen visas and passport pages with parents’ data, if a child visa is issued separately.

To open a visa to Poland for a child, you need to take into account that his visa stamp will be pasted into the parent’s passport if he does not yet have his own passport.

Self-registration

Many tourists ask themselves how to apply for a visa to Poland. With the growing popularity of traveling without travel agencies, this issue is first on the agenda. Independent registration of a Polish visa is carried out either through visa centers of this state, or through its Consulates General located in several constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

The most common and popular way is to use the services of visa centers; they are located in many cities. Obtaining a visa to Poland through the Consulate is possible if, for example, a refusal was received, or you need a national visa, not a Schengen one.

All travelers who apply for a visa to Poland on their own need to know that a new procedure has been in effect since September 2015. This is the provision of biometric data when submitting a visa application. At the visa center or Consulate you will need to give your fingerprints and take a photograph. Obtaining a Polish visa is now possible only after this procedure. The data will be stored for five years, then you will have to submit it again. Children under 12 years old do not submit fingerprints.

Application through the visa center

A visa to Poland is obtained through a visa center in Moscow and through its branches in other Russian cities. There are quite a lot of them; the full list can be found on the visa center website. To submit an application, you need to follow an algorithm consisting of several simple points:

Decide on the purpose of the trip and the required type of entry permit;
Collect documents;
Download to your computer and fill out the form;
Bring a package of papers to the visa center (pre-registration and registration are required, there is an electronic queue);
Pay the consular and service fees for services, receive a receipt and attach it to the package of papers;
Submit documents and receive an individual number to track the status of your application.

Obtaining a visa to Poland through the Moscow visa center and its regional departments is a streamlined, fast and not at all difficult procedure. Before submitting your papers, you can go to the VC website and read the instructions to be completely sure of the correctness of your actions.

At the visa center you can get insurance (medical policy), take photographs, and also order photocopies of documents, if all this has not been done in advance.

Some are interested in how to obtain a visa to Poland on their own through the Consulate at the Embassy. The same as through the visa center. Appointments and registration are required, as the Consulate only accepts and issues items during certain hours of the working day. There is no electronic queue at the Consulate; you can only register by phone.

Polish visa on your own: reviews 2019

It should be additionally noted that Poland is not the most loyal country to Russians in visa matters (and not only in them). Despite the formally simple list of required papers, there are also strange requirements - a mandatory hotel stamp on the reservation, 50% payment for the stay. And, of course, according to reviews about independently obtaining a Polish visa, the statistics of negative decisions among Poles is higher than among the French, and even more so the Spaniards.

According to reviews from independent travelers, the Polish Consulate often finds fault with shortcomings in papers and may require additional confirmation or financial guarantees. That is, the reviews may give the impression that it is not easy to obtain a visa to Poland on your own. But this is no more difficult than obtaining a visa to Estonia or, for example, Latvia. It so happened historically that these countries are less loyal to Russia, so the collection and submission of documents must be taken seriously and everything must be done carefully, without mistakes.

Visa to Poland on your own: travel by car

A large number of Russian citizens travel to Poland by car, because it is nearby and you can see more sights. Also, the shortest transit route further to Europe is possible only through the territory of Poland.

You can plan a trip by car calmly, since in this case there are no special features; a Polish visa for a trip by car is the same Schengen type C as for other trips. It must be formalized according to the general rules.

A transit route through Poland by car is also possible with a visa from another Schengen country. Border guards, of course, can find fault with something, but this is more likely due to the general situation in relations between countries.

When crossing the Polish border in a car, a stamp with a picture of the car is affixed to the passport, which indicates the fact of the foreigner’s arrival by land and not by any other route.

Registration cost

When asking how much a visa to Poland costs for Russians, you must first understand what kind of visa is required. If it’s Schengen, then the price is one, if it’s national, it’s another. The price of a visa to Poland consists of two components: the consular fee and the visa center fee for services. The current cost is shown in the table below.

In addition to the cost of a visa to Poland, you also need to pay the cost of the visa center service fee. It is not the same for different cities, there are two prices. For Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Smolensk, Yekaterinburg and Voronezh, the visa center service fee is 19.5 euros. For Saratov, Novorossiysk, Krasnodar, Perm and Ufa - 23 euros.

It should be emphasized that the price of a Polish visa type C does not depend on how long the document is valid.

Validity periods

In the visa issue, it is important not only how much a Polish visa costs for Russians, but also what its validity period is. Based on EU standards, the period for a C visa is limited to six months, and for a D visa – one year. Number of days of stay: for C – 3 months, for D – 6 months.

In fact, documents may be issued with completely different deadlines. For the first trip, the validity limit will be limited only to the dates of the trip and the visa will be single-entry; then you can count on a multi-month Schengen multiple visa, which is multiple-entry.

Long-term Polish multiple entry visa

The rule is that if the applicant already has at least two Schengen visas in his passport, no matter which state, then he can be approved for a multiple-entry visa to Poland for 2 years. But with such a visa it will still be possible to spend no more than 3 months in every six months in Poland/another Schengen country. A Polish visa for 2 years gives ample opportunities to travel around Europe.

This rule is optional, so you need to be prepared for the fact that they can give you a one-time document.

Photo of national visa to Poland

Registration deadlines

Since the Republic of Poland has been a member of Schengen for a long time, there are special documents that regulate the timing of the issuance of a Schengen entry visa. According to official papers, the period during which a Schengen document is issued is 10 or 14 days; a national D visa is issued a little longer. In practice, the period for obtaining a Polish Schengen type C visa may be limited to a period of 5 or 10 days. If you need to get a visa to Poland quickly in three days, then you just need to pay an additional 70 euros, and your application will be considered out of turn.

In some cases, the visa process takes longer. What this is connected with is not entirely clear, but such situations are still rare.

Refusal to receive

Russians need a visa to Poland, so there are many people at its visa centers who want to apply for an entry permit. However, practice shows that it is possible to get a refusal and the chances of getting it are not zero.

Of course, “the most beautiful places” is a somewhat subjective concept. But the attractions collected in this review will show how diverse the country is and how much you can see while traveling around Poland. Here we are talking about those places that are very convenient to visit if you don’t have much time - say, one day or a weekend.
1. Zywiec Lake. This is an artificial reservoir near the town of Żywiec in the Silesian Voivodeship. Although it serves economic purposes - there is a hydroelectric power station here - the lake is distinguished by its unique beauty, and therefore attracts a huge number of tourists. There are piers, beaches, you can surf and go yachting. A particularly beautiful view of the lake opens from Mount Żar, which belongs to the Lesser Beskids.

2. Koniaków, Istebna, Jaworzynka. This is the so-called Beskydy Truive. All three villages are part of the magnificent landscape of the Silesian Beskids, and are connected by one main road and several smaller roads. These places are also very famous for their traditions: local music and lace weaving skills are especially famous.

3. Skansen in the city of Sanok in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. This is one of the largest open-air museums in the country. On an area of 38 hectares there are almost 100 wooden buildings in the spirit of local traditions.

4. Torun. This is one of the most beautiful and oldest cities in Poland. Toruń is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city is also well known for the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus. And Torun is also the capital of... gingerbread!

5. Gniezno. It is the first capital of Poland. The first Polish archbishopric was formed here and the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located here - one of the most revered and famous Polish churches. How pleasant it is to wander through the narrow streets, the heart of which is the ancient Market Square!

6. Kamenczyk waterfall in the town of Szklarska Poreba (Elenegur County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship). This is the highest waterfall in the Polish Karkonosze Mountains. The water falls in a frame in three steps from a height of 27 meters. Behind the waterfall there is an artificial cave in which there is a large accumulation of amethysts and pegmatite. This cave is called “Golden Pit”. The waterfall itself is located at an altitude of 846 meters above sea level.

7. The village of Zalipie in the Lesser Poland region of Poland. It is famous for the fact that almost everything in it is painted! Local traditional patterns can be seen everywhere: on houses, fences, swings, furniture, stoves, trees, even kettles and washing machines! By the way - this is also a local feature - basically all the artists in Zalipye are women.

8. Bydgoszcz lies on the Brda River. The unofficial name of the city is “Bydgoszcz Venice”. And it’s hard to argue with this: looking at the centuries-old buildings reflected in the clear river waters and at the boats and boats slowly sailing through the city, you begin to feel like you’re in a medieval fairy tale. To the east of the city is the Bydgoszcz Canal, the oldest existing waterway in the country, connecting the Vistula and Odra.

9. Zegrzyn Lake. If the weather is good on a summer weekend, it means that the beaches near the lake, located 30 km from Warsaw, will be full of tourists. This artificially created reservoir on the Narew River is today one of the most popular Sunday destinations among residents of the capital and surrounding areas.

10. Routes for horseback riding in the Low Beskids. The so-called Transbeskid route is the longest among mountain routes of this kind. Its length is 400 km. When you travel along this road, you can meet colorful villages, picturesque valleys, mountain ranges, and magnificent national parks.

11. Palace in Bozkow near the town of Nowa Ruda (Lower Silesian Voivodeship). This beautiful 18th century building has been abandoned for several years now. But perhaps that is why it attracts tourists with its mystery and enigma.

12. Soltykov Jets. This is a natural reservoir in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. In addition to magnificent vegetation, there are also deposits of minerals and paleontological fossils.

13. Lake Turkusovo on the western coast of the Baltic. It is located on the site where chalk has long been mined. The color of the lake is somewhat unusual - blue with a green tint. This color is obtained due to the play of sunlight, which, penetrating into clean water and reflecting from the minerals located at the bottom of the reservoir, gives this effect. There are walking paths around the lake. If you climb the nearby hill, you can see not only this lake, but also the Baltic Sea itself.

14. The village of Zhelazova Wola near Warsaw. Frederic Chopin was born and spent his childhood here. Nowadays, in the house where the future composer lived, there is a museum, and near it there is a park and garden laid out in the 30s of the last century.

15. Rafting along the beaver route. This is a real treat for kayaking enthusiasts. The route passes through the West Pomeranian and Lubusz Voivodeships and is located among picturesque forests and rivers.

16. Moshni Castle. Located in the Opole Voivodeship, the architectural ensemble is one of the main attractions of Upper Silesia. Nowadays there is a center for the treatment of diseases of the nervous system, but part of the castle is open to the public.

17. Lake Nidzke. This glacial lake is one of the least untouched lakes in Masuria. Those who value contact and harmony with nature will especially like it here.

18. Rafting on the Dikaya (Divoka) Orlitsa River. Traveling along this river is not an easy task and is more suitable for those who have some experience. It is quite rocky, very cold and incredibly beautiful - an extreme pleasure for rafting lovers. The Wild Eagle flows in the Sudetes through the territory of Poland and the Czech Republic.

19. Museum of characters... before bed. Here are the heroes of the Polish analogues of the program “Good Night Kids”. The only museum of its kind is located in Rzeszow. And it’s not even clear who is more interested here - children or adults...

20. The city of Bielsko-Biala in the Silesian Voivodeship. One of the most beautiful Polish cities with many old buildings and, of course, the central Market Square. By the way, there are two unusual monuments here - to heroes... of cartoons. These are the dogs Rex and Bolek and Lolek, beloved by the Poles.

21. Ruins of Rabztyn Castle in Lesser Poland Voivodeship. This is a knight's castle from the 13th century. Part of it has been restored, but from most of the structure only the skeletons of the walls remain. Which, however, attracts a huge number of tourists. There are many legends associated with the castle. For example, that deep underground there is another castle - large and beautiful. And that its inhabitants sleep there. And only once a year they wake up, open the doors of luxurious halls and sit down at tables covered with delicious dishes. And then everything goes to sleep again - until next year...

22. Sheep Mountain. It is the second highest mountain in the Silesian Beskids. Its height is 1220 meters. Paths running through virgin nature lead to its top, where the geodetic station and observation point are located. And the view from the mountain is simply fabulous!

23. Vistula Žuławy. In northern Poland, several tens of kilometers from the sea, the Vistula leaves a large amount of river sediment, thereby forming sand dunes - they separate Żuławy from the Baltic Sea. A significant territory of Żuławy is located below sea level, and therefore an extensive network of dams and canals was built there - it is considered one of the densest in Europe.

24. Icons in Lancut. The town of Lancut in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship is famous for the Lubomirski Castle from the 17th century. To this day it has been preserved in excellent condition. The largest collection of icons in Poland is kept here. There are about 2,500 of them in the castle. Most of these icons were transferred after the war from destroyed churches located in the north-eastern part of Poland.

25. The village of Krasiejów in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship. Traces of ancient amphibians and reptiles were found here, and a paleontological pavilion was built at the site of the discovery. Now “Jurapark” is open there - an amusement park “inhabited” with dinosaurs.

26. Lavender fields. And not in Provence, but near Olsztyn! The lavender field near New Kavkov has existed since 2001. And although it is sometimes difficult for enthusiasts who grow this plant - after all, the local climate is not as suitable for lavender as Provençal - every year you can observe luxurious blooms here. At the same time, farmers try not to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. And when the season ends, bouquets and sachets are made from dried flowers.

27. Underwater quarry in Piechcin (Kuyavia-Pomeranian Voivodeship). At its bottom lie real treasures - yachts, sailing boats, even two Fiat 126s in almost perfect condition. It is especially interesting here when there has been no rain for some time and the water is completely clear. This is one of the few quarries in Poland where diving is possible.

28. Mouth of the Warta (Lubskie Voivodeship). This is a kingdom of wild animals and birds living near water. There are 270 species of the latter here. All of them are under protection - after all, there is a national park here. In 2009 it was voted the best European tourist destination.

29. Underground bunkers in Szczecin. It is believed that there were almost 800 of them here! After the Second World War, 160 were opened. One of the most interesting is the anti-aircraft bunker. It is located at a depth of 17 meters and even had its own water supply. The thickness of its walls is 3 meters. There could be 2,500 people in the bunker at the same time.

30. Center of Slavs and Vikings in Wolin. Walking through this scansen is like traveling back in time. There are recreated huts from the early Middle Ages, where members of Slavic brotherhoods sometimes spend time. You can go into each of these houses and get acquainted with the interior. A festival of Slavs and Vikings takes place here every year.

Located in the center of Europe. This country is interesting for tourists at any time of the year.

In Poland, you can wander through medieval cities and castles, visit the Bialowieza National Park and see bison, go skiing in Zakopane in winter or lie on the beaches of the Baltic Sea in summer.

The first Polish state appeared in 966 after the adoption of Christianity by Prince Mieszko I. Most Poles are Catholics and the church has great influence; it is not for nothing that from 1978 to 2005 the Pole John Paul II, the first Pope of Slavic origin, sat on the Vatican throne.

During World War II, much of the country was destroyed, Warsaw was especially damaged, but the Poles carefully restored and restored everything.

A two-week itinerary in Poland can be compiled as follows:

1. Warsaw . The old town in the capital of Poland is not very large. You should definitely see Castle Square and the Royal Palace.